[Python-Dev] Provide a Python wrapper for any new C extension

[Guido van Rossum]

[Hamish Lawson]
> One of the arguments put forward against renaming the existing time
> module to _time (as part of incorporating a pure-Python strptime
> function) is that it could break some builds. Therefore I'd suggest
> that it could be a useful principle for any C extension added in the
> future to the standard library to have an accompanying pure-Python
> wrapper that would be the one that client code would usually import.

There are too many distinct use cases to make this a hard and fast
rule.   The problem with maintaining many builds is best served by
keeping the number of extensions small, period.

[Marc-Andre Lemburg]
> BTW, this reminds me of the old idea to move that standard
> lib into a package, eg. 'python'...
> 
> from python import time.

Maybe in Python 3000.  In 2.x, I think rearranging the standard
library will just cause more upheaval without much benefits.

> We should at least reserve such a name RSN so that we don't
> run into problems later on.

I can guarantee you that that name won't be used as a standard Python
module or package name any time soon.  If someone creates a 3rd party
package or module named 'python' I'd question their sanity. :-)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)